Device for opening eggs



July 12, 1960 c. w. SMITH, JR., ETAL 2,944,575

DEVICE FOR OPENING EGGs Filed May 13, 1958 Fpig. 75

////////////////////l//l//L INVENTORS Charles W. nulUgJ?, fcuzas X Mead 5^ E van H D urzbmyJr'.

BY @M f6@ ATTORNEYS yshowninl-liglgand v 1 plan View ofthe embodiment shown y y point is approximatelyl350 C, Y Y Y Y A As shown in Fig 5, ting-shaped element 14 is "formedv DEVICEFORLOPENlNG EGGS'. charles w. smith; Jn, Francis1x.Mend,sna Ervan n.

Dunbar, Jr., Terre Haute, Ind., to Chas.'l?fzer f This invention relates to anovel method and device for opening raw eggs, and more particularly relates to such a method and device which operate without' introducing foreign matter into the egg.

Certain manufacturing and processing industries, for example, the pharmaceutical and baking industries utilize large quantities of eggs. In most instances, these in a substantially closed ring whose adjacentpontions'are insulated from eachother, v.for example, by`I an insulating Washer 18jtted upon asbestos. cordnld.; 'Ends 20 andf22l of windingv 14 are `brought out-to. terminals 24 and 26 where they are connected pto `electrical. conductors4 or .are .Ohannelld fateful-lisais 24a@ y26;thgugh"insulating fer-rules@ 2111434. forfexamplestmadei gf ceramic tubing-f eggs must -be opened and the contents removed from the v shell in a raw state. There are quite a large number of existing egg-opening methods and devices which, for example, break or saw through the shell by mechanical means. However, when sawing, cutting or abrading operations are performed,there is a very-great likelihood of introducing considerable dust or other foreign particles into the interior of the egg. Even when elaborate vacuumsystems are employed for abstracting. dust and foreign particles from the vicinity of theY egg, there is no assurance that 100% of these particles will be removed and prevented from entering into the egg. This problem is particularly acute in the pharmaceutical industry when large quantities of raw eggs are used as culture media, for example`,'in the manufacture of vaccines.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, economical andY convenient method and device for opening eggs Without introducing foreign particles or dustinto the 4o interior of the egg. Y

In accordance with this invention, the surface of the egg is contacted by a substantially closed ring maintained at a temperature high enough to burn through the shell.

Y This ring is provided, for example, by ajring-shapedelecf trical heating element mounted upon a' rod.- r@Novel features and advantages ofthe, present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction'wit-h the accompanying drawings wherein similar 'reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view'in elevation of one em-V bodirnent of this invention; f

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation Vof an egg after being opened by the embodiment shown in Fig. Yl;

Fig. 3 is a top planview of the'embodiment shown in Y Fig. 1; -V

Fig 4 is a side view in elevation'of the embodiment Fig. 5 is a bottom Y inFig.1.

Conductors 28 and Sifare hannelled :through rod' 36,' for example,1a hollowt'tubular rod, for example, madeof j tubing throughahollow'rubber plug 3:8 ttedj in the. end-oftube 36. n The partsofconductors 28 and disposed "Within'alumin'um tube 36 are covered with an insulating material 40, for example, rubber insulation. The portion of conductors 28 and 30y between plug 38 and terminals 24 and 26 is covered by an insulating me-Y dium 42, for example, short lengths of ceramic tubing.

Ring-shaped heating element 14 is supported from a toroidal assembly 44 which is mounted upon the end .of rod 36 by a bracket 46 which, for example, is attached to the end of rod 36 by a U-shaped clamp 48. An insulating pad is inserted between bracket 46 and rod 36 to prevent the rod from overheating. Pad 50 is, for example, made of Transite, which is the trademark of a brand of hard-pressed heavy board made from asbestos and Portland cement'by the Johns-Manville Corporation. A

similar Transite pad52 is inserted between terminals24 and 26 and the outer end of bracket 46.

A ring-shaped disc of asbestos 54 is secured-against theY loweredge of the outer portion of bracket 46 by washers 56, for example, made of steel by means of screw and nut assemblies 58. The holes 60 inv the 'ceuterofrwashers 56 are larger than Vthe diameter lof the hole 62 through as- "lbestos'ring 54 toL provide a recess 64 Within which ring- In Fig. l is shown a device 10 for opening an egg 12- including a ring-shaped electrical heating element`14, for

alloyslconsisting :of approximately'1-5;l6%chromium,

, example, made ofNichrome wirespirallywound about n an insulating ring-shaped core 16, d'forexample, formed ofj an 'asbestosA cordjfNichrome is a trademark ofthe `Driver-Harris Company lfor brand ofheat resistant v -What isclaimed is:

shaped heating element 14 is nested. A groove 66 (Fig.

5) is provided through washers 56 for passage of ends 20 and 22 to terminals 24 and 26.v Heating element 14 is maintained nested within recess 64 by horizontally bent ends 68 of pins 70which are inserted through vertical holes 72 in asbestos ring-shaped disc 5.4 and washers 56. The upper surface of bracket 46 `adjacent heads 74 of pins -is recessed as shown at y76 to permit pins 70 to be insulated from the metal or heat conducting portions if of bracket 46. Y

, Operation Device 10 is placedover'an egg 12 as shown in Figfl. i

Hole '62 in toroidalassembly 44 permits the rounded Vtop of egg 12 to project within heating element'14gand allows Y the'exposed lower surface of heating element 14 to be rvbrought into contact withrthe shell of egg 12. Suicient .current is applied through leads 28 and 30, and, ringlshaped element 14 to `burn through the surface or shell of the egg substantially immediately upon application of heatingrelement14 Vthereto, to open it without'permitting any foreign matter vor particles to enter within the raw body of the egg. VThis practically immediately severs theV shell of egg 12 into two separate portions 78 and 80;.

` The upper Vpart 78 'may be easily removed from the egg either simultaneously Withremoval of device 10 or im-f mediately. thereafter. Y

A convenient means of removal such as a vacuum lifting device may be incorporated with A'device 10 `or applied to Ythe-top part 78 of the egg sometime after removal of device 10 from the egg.

l. A dev-ice for opening eggs comprising a rod, an

' electrical heating elementformed in a substantially closed ring which is slightly' smaller 'than the girth of an average egg, said ring being mounted upon said rod in a position in which an entire side of said ring is free to contact the shell of an egg, and electrical conductors connected y l AVto saidV heating 'element fo'r'connecting said heating ele- Patentedjuly 12, 1.960 f 3 ment to a source of electrical power for maintaining the temperature of Vsaid ring high enough to immediately burn through the shell of an egg upon contact therewith.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rod is comprised of'a -hollowftube2 s'aid vheating elementis susiv pended fron'ra bracket connected to Vtheend `of saidy tube; and-said electrical'conductors being fchannelled through.

said `rod to the underside of said bracket.r

3. A device as''set` forth in claim 2 wherein -aringshaped assembly is suspended from said bracket, said assembly beingf'cut out'torincludean annular recess in its lower surface, `and sadringeshaped heating element beingnested Within said' annular recess. v 4 g 4. A device' asset forth in claim 1 wherein said heating element is comprised of a coil of heat-resistant wire which is spirallywoundV around a ring of insulating material.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said heat- Y ing v'element lis supported `by L-shaped pins inserted through said ring-shaped assembly, said pins including horizontal legs, and said horizontal legs being disposed under said ring of insulating material in a position where no portion of said legs extends below the lower surface of said ring-shaped heatingelement.

References rCited-in theflle'of 'this -patent l "UNITED :STATES '."PATENTS A szrsr 

